


Zarathiit Pana

by Beans_babey



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, khajiit dovahkiin - Freeform, other characters but I don’t focus on them enough
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:47:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21797857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beans_babey/pseuds/Beans_babey
Summary: Following the events of Helgen, Ko’ravirha finds her path forward as a member of the Companions’ warrior guild and finds her home among its members.I also want to remedy the shortage of Athis content.Will update the tags as content is added, including the relationship tagZarathiit panaWanderer’s home
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Havvar

**Author's Note:**

> No Athis yet in this one.

Two survivors walked along a winding path leading down from a ruined mountain fortress. One, a Nord in Imperial armor, looked behind him at the Khajiiti woman trailing after.

“So, Korra...” the human trailed off, lost on her foreign name.

“Ko’ravirha.” The Khajiit corrected. She was wearing Imperial armor as well, but it was ill-fitted. She could already feel her fur and skin rubbing away from the too-big boots. 

“What are you planning on doing once we make it to Riverwood? The Legion could always use someone as tough and resourceful as yourself.”

“Hold on a moment please, Havvar.” She requested, stopping to remove the pesky boots. It was more comfortable to not wear them at all.

“‘Havvar?’” The Imperial laughed aloud and amiably at the intentional mispronunciation. “I suppose I deserve that.” 

Ravi laughed back before standing, boots in hand. “Thank you.” 

Hadvar was waiting for a response to his question still. 

“I am not certain.” She started walking and he fell into step beside her. “I have always been a zarathiit, I will go where the adventure is.” 

“That is a good way to live: free.” Hadvar agreed, then his eyes changed. “But isn’t it lonely?”

“I meet plenty of people on my adventures.” Ravi responded airily.

“But do you know any of them?” 

Ravi was silent after that. The trills of birds filling the silence between them. Her ears canted back, her eyes cast down. 

“Merili, please!” Ravi begged the Dunmer woman on the other side of the heavy stone door.

“You know what’s at the end of this cave! You were crazy to think I was gonna share any of it with the likes of you!”

“But Merili, you are my friend! Please just let me out.” Ravi’s voice was coming dangerously close to a sob. Merili had been Ravi’s traveling partner and confidant for nearly two years. That she would do such a thing...

Ravi found herself crying, awful hiccuping gasps wrenched their way out of her as she slumped against the stone doorway. 

How stupid could she be? To be with someone for so long and not recognize something as clear as greed? 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“ Hadvar stumbled, widening the space between them and looking at her in concern.

“It is fine.” Ravi cut him off, sniffing a little. “What is that place? The one on the mountain” she asked, changing the subject to the dark shape coming into view on the top of a mountain across a river far below them. 

“Bleak falls barrow. The place used to give me nightmares as a boy. Draugr climbing in through my window, things like that.” Despite the past tense, the man still looked uneasy.

They walked quietly once more, and Ravi ran ahead a few paces when she spotted blue flowers or interesting mushrooms, hesitantly storing them in the boots. That was the way they walked until three odd stones came into view.

“Those are the guardian stones. They can give you some of their power if you decide you want it.” Hadvar explained as Ravi cautiously approached the center stone. 

A man in robes wielding a staff was depicted on the center stone. Ravi touched the middle of the carving and staggered back as the stone lit up.

“A mage, huh. I had you figured.” Hadvar mused, already turning, expecting her to follow.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ravi asked back, jogging to catch up. Was he calling her weak?

“You did use fire magic back in Helgen.” 

“Oh, right.” Ravi looked away sheepishly. 

Soon, the two reached the walls of the hamlet. An old woman was raving about the dragon that passed overhead while a young man tried hard to calm her down. 

“It seems quiet enough.” Hadvar amusedly glanced over to the woman, “Come on, there’s my uncle.” He added, approaching the steps of a blacksmith’s shop. “Uncle Alvor! Hello!”

“Hadvar?... Shor’s bones, what happened to you, boy?”

“Shh. Keep your voice down please, uncle. I am fine, but we should talk inside.”

“Who is this, Hadvar?” The man indicates Ravi.

“She’s a friend, please let us inside so I can explain.”

“Alright, you two come on in.” He walked over to the home’s door, opening it and calling out inside before letting the two in. “Sigrid, we have guests!”

There was an indecipherable reply from inside just before Ravi stepped through the door. 

It was homely inside. Dark wood and a crackling fireplace. The smell of stew was drifting over from a large pot over the fire. The gasp of a child caught Ravi’s attention from the right corner of the room.

“Hi Hadvar!” Squealed a little girl, running over from the bed she had been sitting on to all but tackle her cousin.

“Ha ha! Hello Dorthe! You’ve gotten taller since I saw you last.” He patted the girl on the head and squeezed her shoulder before she let him go and put her attention on Ravi.

“Who’s that?” She asked, staring at Ravi’s ears.

“This is Ko’ravirha.” Hadvar responded, taking a step back to put one hand on Ravi’s shoulder, “she’s a good friend of mine.” After that, a call from his aunt brought Hadvar down into the home’s basement.

“I’ve never met a Khajiit before.” Dorthe said in wonder as she stepped closer to Ravi. Ravi kneeled down in front of her to be at eye-level. “Can I touch your ears?”

“Sure, but do not stick your fingers in my ears please.”

Dorthe pinched the very tips of Ravi’s ears gently between two tiny fingers and rubbed them, feeling her fur. “Wow. Fuzzy.”

Ravi chuckled.

“How do you know Hadvar?” The girl asked, still poking Ravi’s ears.

“We met at Helgen. When your parents come in here I’m sure he’ll tell all of you, he can do it better than I can.”

“Ok. You can have your ears back now.”

“You’re telling us that dragons are real?” Sigrid asked disbelievingly.

“And that they are waking up?” Alvor added, fear in his eyes.

“I’m afraid so.” Hadvar said, “and it seems the Stormcloaks have it.”

“Now, I think it was only a coincidence.” Ravi countered. “The dragon nearly killed Ulfric. Besides, weren’t dragons supposed to hate everyone?” 

“Nevermind What the dragon thinks of politics!” Sigrid stopped the argument before it could begin, “Someone needs to tell the jarl so he can send some extra men down to defend us.”

“I could do that.” Ravi was looking for somewhere to travel anyways. “I might need better supplies, though.”

“Oh we can take care of that.” Alvor assured her. “And if we can’t, I’m certain you can trade for what you need at the Riverwood Trader.” 

“Thank you, Alvor. I could really use a better fitting pair of boots.” She wrinkled her nose at the boots she left at the door.

“Well, we don’t have your size, but they look to be in good condition. We can get you a pack and some food for your walk.”

Ravi was out the door and into Riverwood Trader. That’s where she encountered the feuding siblings and their quest for a stolen relic. Ravi promised them that if she were to go to Bleak Falls Barrow, she would get their claw back for them. Of course, she didn’t leave without a pair of boots that fit. She moved the mushrooms and flowers into the pack the blacksmith gave her.


	2. Jorrvaskr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Athis is here now.

Ravi’s walk to Whiterun was peaceful, save for a wolf that nipped her calf. And she made it to the gates without any major incidents.

“Stop.” The guard said. “City’s closed to outsiders on account of the dragon. Sorry.”

“I have news from Riverwood, they are requesting aid from your jarl.” Ravi explained, hoping that would get her in.

“Oh! Well, that changes things.” The guard stepped aside. “Go on up to Dragonsreach and tell Jarl Balgruuf at once.”

Ravi uttered a quick ‘thank you’ to the guard before darting through the doors. She walked quickly through the city, noting the blacksmith’s, the trader, the apothecary, the inn, and an odd upside-down boat as she approached the keep.

The Jarl’s bodyguard was less than friendly, but Ravi didn’t worry too much about what the woman thought of her. She delivered her message and met the court wizard.

Farengar said he needed something from Bleak Falls Barrow. How interesting that it seemed every important thing was in the same creepy ruin.

Ravi decided to visit the apothecary before the strange boat-building.

“Hello, come in. I have cures for all ails, have a look around.” The Imperial’s voice was clear as a bell when Ravi entered. 

“Hello. Could I perhaps use your alchemy table?” Ravi asked the woman.

“Well, as long as you clean up after yourself and don’t break anything, certainly. But I will need you to buy something.” 

“Do you have any butterfly wings?”

Ravi sold the bulk of what she brewed, and Arcadia was surprised by her skill. She held onto two of her healing potions and one for magicka. Ko’ravirha shifted her pack as she made her way up to the odd building. Arcadia has called it Jorrvaskr and said it was full of ‘companions’. Ravi had not asked further questions.

No one moved around it, but she heard people inside. Excited people. Ravi pushed the door open and walked into the warm hall.

To the left, there was a semicircle of humans formed around two people. The view was clear for Ravi, a Dunmer man and Nord woman were brawling as the surrounding humans cheered and shouted. 

“Show him, Njada!” Shouted a scarred old Nord.

“Come on, Athis!” Encouraged a young Imperial, watching with a small amount of anxiety.

“Are those two at it again?” Came another Nord voice from the other side of the room. He had apparently came up from a lower room of some sort.

Ravi inched closer to watch the fight. She was naturally a friendly person, but she could enjoy a good brawl as much as the next qara. 

The fight clearly had not been going on much longer than she had been in the hall. Both fighters were bright eyed and mostly unharmed. The Dunmer was sporting a busted lip, and the Nord was favoring one side. 

The Nord, Njada, was slow and hard-hitting. Her hair was shoulder length and dusty brown. Ravi saw several scars running the left side of her face. Two short stripes of red paint sat beneath her eyes. Ravi watched her swing and miss, and could almost feel the force of each one. She couldn’t help but be a bit nervous for the thinner elf. 

The elf, Athis, was light on his feet,  
almost like a dancer as he evaded each punch. He had fiery red hair that was tied back in a tight ponytail and white warpaint trailed down his cheeks, standing out rather attractively against his grey skin. The Dunmer started to gain confidence. He threw a quick punch of his own to the Nord’s jaw and let out a bark of laughter after it connected. 

Njada, like a bear that had been poked one time too many, snarled and aimed a punch for his gut. It connected hard as a minotaur’s charge, knocking the wind clean out of the Dunmer. Before he could even begin to recover, she punched him right in the nose, sending him down to the stone floor. 

Several ‘oh’s of sympathetic pain went up around the crowd, but they turned into cheers once the elf took a breath of air. The Nord woman was swept away and outside in a flurry of her kinsmen chanting her name. 

“Here Athis—“ began the small but well-muscled Imperial girl, taking the elf’s forearm.

“I can stand by myself!” The Dunmer spat, jerking his arm away from the well-meaning human and staggering to his feet. He moved over to lean against the large table that took up the majority of the room.

“Okay, Athis.” Her concern vanished and she went out the hall’s back door to join the others.

With only the two of them in there, the elf was the first of the warriors to see Ravi.

“What?” He growled, probably upset by her staring. “You going to—“ he stopped and spit out some blood, “tell me how pathetic it is that I couldn’t beat her?”

“No. I do not know either of you, and I do not believe I could have beat her. I’m here to learn who you are.”

“‘You?’ You mean the Companions?” His defined brow dropped lower. “Where have you been this whole time? In a cave?”

“Kiva Ahziss rasse pa di jer dorr vitu oriit’ali.” Ravi muttered under her breath.

“What?” The Dunmer asked.

“How do I join?” Ravi asked, wanting the talk with this unpleasant person to be over.

“You don’t even know what we’re about, and you want to join.” He spoke as if she were simple, and Ravi bristled. “Fine. Talk to Kodlak.”

Ravi gave him a blank look.

The elf sighed, “He’s downstairs. You’ll know when you see him.”

Ravi turned and was off. The Dunmer’s looks had turned out to be probably the only attractive quality about him, and his temper was as fiery as his hair.

The lower rooms also consisted of a hall. This one had several rooms branching off of it. At the end of the hall sat a rather nice-looking one. A table and pair of chairs seated two Nords. One was young with dark hair, and the other was old, white-haired and grizzled. They were talking in hushed voices about something important if their tense shoulders were any indication. The old man saw her as she approached down the hall.

“Ah, a stranger in our hall. Tell me, what brings you here?” The man’s voice was warm, friendly even.

“I was hoping to join the Companions. One of your men told me to speak to you.”

“Hmm.” The man sat forward, taking a careful eye to Ravi.

“Master, you can’t really be thinking of accepting her!” Said the man beside him.

“I’m no one’s master boy. And this one is welcome to try and prove herself if she wants. I see a certain fire in her eyes. Take her out to the yard and see what she can do, Vilkas.” Kodlak’s voice was stern, no room to argue.

“...aye.” The young man acquiesced after giving the old Nord a pained look. 

Ravi followed Vilkas in spite of her feelings of indignation. It wouldn’t do to be too prideful. At least not on her first day.

“I’m just going to test your arm, see if we should even consider you. You have a sword?” 

“Yes.” Ravi indicated the sword strapped to her waist.

“You are going to need new armor, too. Companions are not soldiers.” The Imperial armor was still on Ravi. 

“As soon as I have the coin.” Ravi muttered, following him out the door into the training yard, catching Athis’ eye from where he sat at the table, baring her teeth smugly. The elf scowled harder.

Vilkas snatched up a shield as he entered the yard, turning to Ravi once they were in the center. Only one other person lingered, and he was passed out on the table. 

“It won’t be necessary for you to buy anything, we have plenty of spare pieces in storage. Assuming you can swing that sword of yours.” He said, raising the shield. “Hit the shield, put everything you can into it.”

“Alright..” Ravi raised her sword and brought it down hard on the Nord’s shield. 

He clearly wasn’t expecting much, because he staggered back with a ‘woah’ before righting himself. He didn’t stagger again, but he did have to give slightly under her strikes.

“Okay.” He said after about seven strikes. “you’re good... uh.”

“Ko’ravirha. Ravi.” She offered.

“Ravi, you’ve got a strong arm. You’ll be a Companion yet.” He lowered the shield completely and pulled the enormous greatsword off his back. “Run this sword up to Eorlund at the Skyforge.”

“So the Companions are about errand-running?” Ravi snarked.

“Only when it’s your superiors asking it.” Vilkas shot back, handing the heavy blade to her. 

Ravi figured the Skyforge had to be the forge at the top of the hill behind the hall with the eagle carving. She went up the steps and found a grey-haired Nord. 

“You are Eorlund? Vilkas asked me to bring you his sword for some maintenance.” Ravi said as she approached the hot forge.

“Ah, he’s too lazy to bring it up himself, eh? Give it here, I’ll see what I can do.” The man held out one thick arm to take the blade and Ravi gratefully let go of the burden. “What’s your name, Khajiit?” The Nord asked.

“Ravi.” 

“Well, Ravi, there is something you need to know if you are to be a Companion. No one is in charge of anyone. Don’t let any of your senior members push you around just because. If you are in charge of yourself, you’ll be just fine.” He paused for a moment, finishing his examination of the sword before making his request. “I’ll get to work on this, but if you could deliver this shield to Aela, I would be very grateful.”

“Alright, I can do that.” Ravi was going back to the hall anyways, what’s the harm?

“Thank you.” He passed the iron shield to Ravi and she set off back down the steps. 

Ravi stopped beside the snoring Nord and nudged him awake. 

“Wha? Whazzat?” He was clearly drunk off his ass. Blonde with an unruly beard and a muscular frame.

“It is getting late, trevan. You should come inside for supper.” She said, softly for his probably pounding head, but loud enough to cut through his mead-haze.

“Who’re you? Did I wander into a caravan camp again?”

“No.” Ravi breathed with a huff of a laugh. “I am the new member of the guild. My name is Ravi.” 

“Well.” The Nord said as he stretched, his voice distorted by the motion, “thanks. I’ll try to remember your name when I sober up, Ravi. Let’s go get something to eat.” The man slurred as he staggered through the doors and into the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qara  
> Cat (used mostly to refer to actual cats, but can be used to refer to Khajiit in a casual or derogatory way)
> 
> Kiva Ahziss rasse pa di jer dorr vitu oriit’ali  
> Maybe I will make fun of you for losing to a woman
> 
> I get my Ta’agra from taagra.com. It’s a really fun language


	3. Mammoth Dung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravi has trouble finding a good traveling partner.

The room was alight with happy voices. Warriors were boasting and drinking and exchanging stories. Ravi looked among them for someone that fit the name ‘Aela’.

There was the Imperial, but that name was not an Imperial one exactly. There was the Nord Njada, then there was another Nord, red-haired and lean. 

“Aela?” Ravi tried, coming to stand at a respectful distance from the woman’s chair. 

She turned around and Ravi got a look at her face. She had three streaks of blue paint across her face like clawmarks and piercing eyes. “What is it?” Her tone was inpatient, but Ravi found herself feeling like it was nothing personal.

“Eorlund finished working on your shield.” Ravi presented the piece to the woman.

“Ah, thank you, new-blood. Just set it against the table.”

Ravi did as she was told and stepped away. She had to find a spot to sit. It seemed the senior members, with their nice armor and aura of confidence, sat on one side while the other lower members sat on the other. She saw Torvar slumped over the table between Athis and Njada. If the man had been sober, taking that seat would likely have been a tactful move, but the hall was probably grateful anyways. The young Imperial sat on the other side of the Dunmer, and an empty seat was beside her. Ravi picked that one.

“Hello, you’re Ravi.” The Imperial chirped to Ravi as she pulled out the chair and sat. “Vilkas told everyone when you passed your first test. I guess that means I’m not the newest member anymore, but that just means I get to show you the ropes.” The woman’s enthusiasm was staggering after the other reactions Ravi had gotten, and the Khajiit stared dumbly for a moment.

“I’m sorry, but you seem to have me at an advantage...” Ravi rasped to the girl.

“Oh! I’m Ria. I think you already met Athis and Torvar.” She glanced quickly at the two men. Athis gave Ravi a bitter glare, Torvar snorted. “And that’s Njada.” She leaned over the table to look at the Nord woman.

“Yeah, I’m Njada. Don’t talk to me unless you hafta.” She took another bite of her food.

“Thank you, Ria.” Ravi couldn’t help but feel relieved that there was at least one person among her new set of peers that didn’t seem to despise her on sight or fall asleep at the table.

“It’s no trouble.” She assured happily them got back to her talk with Athis. “I’m telling you, I hit that dragon as he flew by.”

“Yeah. Where’s your proof?” The elf shot back without any of the same hostility he showed Ravi. Athis’ tone was teasing. Ravi couldn’t help but be a little shocked.

“I don’t have any, I just thought it was cool that it happened so I wanted to tell you.” Ria was defensive, huffy.

“Alright, I believe you, Ria.” He relented, smiling. 

Ravi got to her food, but she still heard the Dunmer poke Torvar awake and tell him to eat something. Mother hen. He seemed a different person from the one she had spoken to.

The talk of the hall started to die down, the people filing down into the lower hall. Ria stood beside her.

“I’ll show you where we sleep.” She said to Ravi, walking to the stairs and expecting her to follow. 

Ravi followed the Imperial down and across the hall to the room where, apparently, all the new-bloods slept. There were four beds that had no evidence of anyone sleeping on them. Ravi picked one at random, right of the door. She laid her pack at the foot of it and removed her boots. Ria walked to a bed on the other half of the room and got settled there. 

Ravi was out of her armor, making a mental note to get new pieces and sell what she had before she heard more boots coming down the stairs.

As it turned out, the bed directly across from hers was Athis’. Great. 

The elf didn’t make any remark at her though, just settled down and scowled goodnight. 

Ravi spent the morning sorting through the armor stash (which Ria so helpfully showed to her) and selling her previous armor to Belethor. The man gave her a bad feeling, but Farkas, Vilkas’ much simpler and friendlier brother, said that was just how Belethor was.

“Speaking of coin.” The Nord grinned at Ravi, “I’ve got a job for you if you’re interested. It shouldn’t been too tough. A bear got into one of the farms and killed some cows. Bring Ria so you can track him down.” 

Ravi was beaming as she turned away from the big Nord. Her first job! It was only a small one, but still! She bound out the back door and into the yard, calling to Ria.

The bear was easy to track. Rain had left the ground wet and its claws scraped up grass wherever it walked. The pair simply watched the ground as they walked further and further from the city.

“Look over there. Giants.” Ria said in awe, pointing to two tall, white creatures leading what must have been mammoths behind them. 

“Oh. I have never seen giants before.” Ravi responded, watching them with saucer eyes. 

“Really? What about draugr?” Ria asked.

The conversation carried on that way as they walked. Ria would ask Ravi if she had ever seen this thing or that thing before, and Ravi would respond. That was, until they caught sight of the bear in the moor.

It was big. Very big, and brown-furred and shaggy. Ravi felt her tabby tail fluff up at the sight of its claws.

“Okay,” Ria whispered. “I’ll circle around and we both attack at the same time, ok?” 

Ravi nodded. She waited for Ria’s signal.

The Imperial’s signal was apparently to charge with a roar, holding her sword up. The bear turned to face her just as Ravi joined her friend, bearing her sword and her teeth in a charge. 

The poor beast was so confused by the suddenness of their attack that both women managed to sink their blades into its sides at once. It howled in pain and collapsed mercifully quickly under the damage of the swords in the sides of its chest. 

“Wow, we made that look easy.” Ria remarked, pulling her blade from the corpse.

“We did. That plan of yours was great.” Ravi praised, making Ria blush.

The two walked back, no longer watching the ground, talking about the Imperial City which Ravi visited and briefly stayed in a year ago. Ravi smelled something foul, but she wasn’t going to stop and make a fuss. She kept walking. Until she took a step that sunk into something. 

“Ah! What—OH, disgusting!” Ravi cursed, hopping away from the enormous pile of shit she just stuck her boot into. It was above the ankle!

“A mammoth patty! Ha ha!” Ria couldn’t help the giggles that escaped her at Ravi’s expense. “I’m sorry!”

How embarrassing. Ravi could never let any of the Circle know that she had been so careless! 

“You tell no one, Ria.” Ravi warned.

“My lips are sealed.” The Imperial said through laughs.

Ravi was silent on the walk back, her ears flattened to her head in shame. Ria didn’t say anything until they reached the stream on the west side of the city.

“It could have happened even to Skjor.” 

Ravi appreciated the sentiment as she removed her boot and stuck it in the stream to clean the dung off. Instead of using her hand like an animal, she ripped up some grass beside her and used it to scrub. Like a savage. 

The next time she went out, to clear a nearby bandit camp, Ravi brought Torvar instead, hoping that his strength would make up for her smaller size and his habit make him blissfully forgetful of any of her mistakes. 

She ended up liking the Nord quite a lot when he was sober enough to speak coherently. 

“You’re telling me the guy was so damn stupid to think you’d bed him for a piece of bread?” Torvar’s nasally voice was interrupted by his laughs.

“He was! I ended up knocking him into next Morndas for even thinking it.” Ravi crowed.

Sadly, the moments of clarity were far outweighed by his drunken stupors. Of course, he was good in the fight against that little bandit camp, but when there was not a fight, Ravi had to drag him along behind her.

Ravi was beginning to worry. She did not want to do all of her adventuring alone, especially if her next job sent her farther away. But who could she travel with that wouldn’t be a constant reminder of her failings or need to be carried around half the time? The only two Companions left that she could ask were Njada and Athis.

Njada had given Ravi the Eye of Fear since she arrived, and Ravi’s first interaction with Athis had so far been her only one. A terrible first impression. But she had also seen how Athis behaved around the others: he was civil to them (except Njada), even friendly to Ria and Torvar. 

“Whelp,” Skjor’s voice cut across the training yard, “I’ve got a job for you.” He motioned for Ravi to come closer. 

Ravi left the dummy behind and trotted over to the Circle member, sheathing her sword. “Is it another bear?” Ravi groaned.

“Don’t push it, new-blood. No, you’re in luck, there’s a bandit camp near Riverwood. It’s just outside an old ruin: Bleak Falls Barrow.” He paused for a moment, “Take Athis with you and don’t come back empty-handed.”

Seemed Ravi wouldn’t have a choice. She pursed her lips as she turned around. Ko’ravi couldn’t shake the feeling that he was just getting the qara and the dugo-jijri out of the hall. But maybe that was too harsh. 

It didn’t matter, she had a Dunmer to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dugo-jijri  
> Gray-skin


	4. Into the Ruin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravi and Athis begin their first mission together, and both begin to question their opinion of the other.

Ravi recalled seeing Athis leave the hall from the front entrance, and felt it would be best to find him. That way, he could get anything he needed at the shops for the journey before returning to Jorrvaskr for the night. It might do well to make him a bit more friendly, and it might make him feel bad for being such a zeva katatajiit.

She walked through the market, peeked into the shops. Eventually, Ravi found the Mer in The Drunken Huntsman. He was testing the grip on a nice-looking bow, and he wasn’t smiling, but his features seemed more relaxed. 

“That one’s a great weapon. The price is 500 Septims.” The Bosmer behind the counter said amiably.

Athis’ body went rigid at that, and he carefully replaced the bow on its stand. He turned to Ravi at the sound of the door closing behind her and quirked a brow at her. 

“We’ve got a job at Bleak Falls Barrow. Just letting you know to prepare.” Ravi announces tersely, already turning back to the door. She could hardly stand having his eyes on her.

“‘We’?” He looked at her with incredulity.

“Skjor’s decision, not mine, sabaar.” 

He furrowed his brow further at that, not sure if he should be offended by the unknown word. Ravi left him that way.

The next day was the next time the two spoke. 

“The caravan arrived in the night.” Ravi told Athis as she fastened the straps of the iron armor she had found in the Companions’ stash. “I would like to see them before we left, if that is alright by you.” 

The Dunmer gave a shrug, “just don’t take too long.”

Athis walked alongside Ravi as they left the city, stopping short outside of the caravan’s encampment. He waited on the road for Ravi to finish her dealings. It wasn’t that Athis was trying to listen in, He just had sharp ears, and the language of the Khajiit sounded so satisfying.

“Yosan, raba oku.” That sounded like a greeting from the merchant.

“Ahziis va oku dorr alkalai’a.” Ravi lost Athis with that one.

“Jer vara khisrithiita?” At least questioning inflections were universal.

“Jat...” and Ravi turned back to look at Athis with her ears flattened. She lowered her voice to a light growl, but grinned nonetheless, “jekosiit.” 

The Caravaner laughed a loud, rasping caw in response, and Athis’ ears burned with embarrassment. He stopped listening after that, and Ravi was finished with her trade in a few more moments. 

Athis did not ask what she bought as she walked back to the path, and he kept ahead of her as they started their long walk to Riverwood. 

“Athis?” Ravi got the attention of the Mer steps ahead of her.

He shot back a downright vicious glare in response. 

Ravi, not one to be ignored, sped up a to fall into step at his side. She ignored the eye roll. “How long have you been a Companion?”

That question seemed to catch the Mer off guard. “It’s been over three years, now.” His expression went bitter again. 

“What is so bad about that?” 

“Njada’s only been here five months, and Skjor’s already talkin’ about her proving.” Athis followed that statement with a muttered curse.

“I do not expect them to treat me any better than you.” Ravi said sourly. “We will just have to be so much better than them that they have to see how worthy we are.”

“You think that’s not what I’ve been doing?” 

Ravi laid her ears back, her lip curling a bit. What an awful way to be treated. If Athis had been trying for so long to prove himself and had not gotten much further than where he began, what chance did Ravi stand? Now that she thought a bit more about it, her question was stupid.

“Look, at least there’s two of us. Well, Ria too, but she still looks enough like them.” He let out a huff of breath through his nose. “Maybe if we clear out the ruin while we’re there, they’ll take us more seriously.”

“Bringing back the treasures wouldn’t hurt, either.” Ravi smirked, “Or maybe selling them for our own pockets.”

“I like the way you think. Ria wouldn’t have any of that ‘dishonesty’.”

“Only because she is a poor liar.” Ravi’s whiskers twitched in amusement.

The rest of the walk to Riverwood was comfortably quiet. They passed the occasional traveler, Ravi giving them greetings. 

Soon, the two reached the fork where the road separated from the path that led up into the flying snow concealing the old barrow.

“Of course it has to be up a gods damned mountain.” Athis grumbled, taking the lead again.

Ravi grunted in agreement, Athis heard her following in his steps. 

“I met a shopkeep here in Riverwood that is missing an expensive piece in this place. His payment will hopefully make up for this climb.” Ravi offered.

“It better be a mountain of gold..” Athis ground out, but silenced himself and stood stock still at the noise that followed. 

A snarl and a bark came from the bushes ahead of them, and Athis drew his sword. Ravi was beside him again, her own sword at the ready. 

Two wolves leapt at an angle from the bushes, snapping at the Companions as they darted by. The wolves kept running though, and disappeared down the road.

“Pah, dogs.” Ravi rolled her eyes and took the lead as Athis chuckled. They didn’t put their swords away.

“Ugh, my tail is freezing off.”

“You don’t get to complain. You’ve got fur.” 

“Wait.” Ravi stopped in the thick snow, ears pricked. She looked to Athis and his own gray ears ticked up as well. “Do you hear them?” 

Distantly, over the rushing wind, voices could be heard. The slurred speech of tipsy bandits and the barks of their superiors. 

“Let’s move slow.” Athis cautioned, approaching a large rock and crouching by it, drawing his bow. “I can see their tower.”

“Anyone there?” Ravi went down to his side, close enough to whisper and still be heard. 

“Yeah, I see one on the top.” He nocked an arrow and drew back the string, closing his right eye as he took aim. 

Ravi watched the bandit carefully as Athis looses the arrow, and her jaw dropped as, through the snow and the wind and over all that distance, it struck the poor sod right in the neck. The following thud resulted in the other bandits scrambling around, looking for the source of their surprise attack. 

“Over there!” A woman pointed right at them as this was shouted. 

“Damn.” Ravi hissed, jumping to her feet and zigzagging across the snow to the remaining two bandits. 

Of course, Ravi and Athis didn’t exactly blend in with the snow. His red hair and her black and brown fur stuck out.

Athis fired another arrow behind her, but it was not so accurate as the first. The snow gave a quiet poff beside the woman as the arrow landed. 

“N’chow.” With that, he charged ahead of Ravi, shield drawn and battle cry on his tongue. An arrow from the other bandit, a Bosmer man, stuck in Athis’s shield, but he didn’t stop.

Ravi speeds her own approach, not wanting to miss out on her share of the glory. She reached the woman first, catching her battleaxe with her sword and tossing it to the side. That left her chest and stomach exposed, and Ravi ran the poorly-trained human through with her blade. She left her where she fell and turned to see how Athis was faring.

She happened to look just in time. Athis knocked the Bosmer into a stumble with his shield. As the elf staggered back, he brought his sword up swiftly and cut his throat, painting the fresh snow red. He then grimaced, plunged his sword into the snow, and replaced it at his belt. 

Ravi did no such thing. These were not the last of the bandits. 

“Let us search the tower then continue to the barrow.” Ravi was already turning to the stone entrance of the old tower. 

It was pretty bare, save for a chest with 20 Septims and the 5 on the dead bandit. 

The next group of outlaws was harder than the first, and Ravi got her first look at the barrow’s entrance. 

It was a wide stone outcrop with huge, rib-like stone structures and a set of heavy, ancient doors at the entrance. The pair had to fight their way up the stairs, but it seemed the bandits ended there. 

“Now comes the hard part.” Ravi said, anxiously eyeing the doors.

“You ever been in one of these before?” Athis asked, clearly thinking it crazy that she hadn’t. 

“No. I have not been in Skyrim much longer than I have been a Companion.” She put her hands on the left door, waiting for Athis.

“You’re in for a house of horrors, then.” He added a dark chuckle to the statement that made Ravi laugh without any humor.

Together, they easily pushed open the heavy doors and were in the barrow.

It was much warmer inside, and Athis’ shivering subsided. The source of the warmth came from a fire on the other side of a thick stone column. Two shadows moved sluggishly around it.

“Let’s get a little closer.” Ravi whispered to him, slinking forward to the column and pressing her side against it. She silently dropped her pack behind her.

Athis followed, hugging the other side, drawing his bow. He spared one more glance at Ravi before releasing the string and letting the arrow strike the side of an Orc’s head.

“Oh, shit!” The other bandit yelped, picking up his mace from the ground and searching for Athis. 

As he walked to the center of the opposite side of the column, Ravi separated herself from it and buried her sword in the man’s back. His cry was silenced almost as soon as it began. She withdrew the sword just before he fell limp and dead to the ground.

Athis stepped out from behind the column with a nod of admiration. 

Ravi nodded back before turning to a chest she noticed by the fire. It was a simple lock that she had open in only a few seconds.

“Where’d you learn that?” Athis asked behind her as she searched the chest for valuables. 

“My ahnurr taught me. He spent time in the Imperial City and had few qualms about where he got his gold.” Ravi rasped, stuffing her pack with the Septims and the shining stone she found buried beneath strips of leather. “My father.” She clarified to Athis’ silence. 

“Long as you stay out of my lockbox.” His tone was light, broken by a chuckle.

Ravi might have been offended if it weren’t for that. Instead, she grinned as she stood, a little bounce in her step as she followed him down the ancient steps that led deeper into the ruin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zeva katatajiit  
> Tail biter (lit. Tail one-who-bites)
> 
> Sabaar  
> Cactus
> 
> Yosan, raba oku  
> Welcome, have (a) look
> 
> Ahziss va oku dorr alkalai’a  
> I am looking for medicines
> 
> Jer vara khisrithiita?  
> You are adventurers?
> 
> Jat... jekosiit.  
> Yes, sheep-shagger.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Um. Big spider, Dovahzul, bonding.

There was a short hallway with two turns, and an entrance to another section of the crypt that had long collapsed. Runs of various sizes dotted the short hallway. Ravi took a peek in one, but quickly shut it and grimaced. She had to turn her head and sneeze.

“Should’a warned you about the ash. Thought you’d have a little more sense.” Athis said over his shoulder, “diggin’ in dead people...” Though Athis knew he had done worse, neither of them were in the situation to need coin that badly. He didn’t care about the way her ears flattened as he led them on.

There was the faint sound of movement. Ravi halted, and Athis, sensing her stop, stopped as well. His stiffer ears moved the tiniest bit out, listening for what she heard. 

Ravi crept forward, passing him and sticking her head around the corner. She crouched, and felt the space above her head be invaded by the Dunmer. 

A Nord in hide armor had his hand on a lever sitting in the middle of a large, square room. At the other end, a heavy iron gate blocked the doorway. 

The Nord pushed the lever forward. There was a moment of silence as the ancient machinery got to work, then a whizzing sound. 

The bandit was struck through with tens of darts, and he fell down dead in moments with little more than a grunt of surprise.

“Tch.” Athis straightened behind her and walked around the surprised Khajiit to stand next to the dead man. “Nords built these damn traps, you’d think they would know how to avoid them.” 

“A puzzle.” Ravi mused, looking around the room as she stepped in. “Though not much of one.” She added, looking at the mounted stones—and the one that had fallen to the floor, and the turning stones on the left wall. Animals were etched onto each. “The only question is: do the stones work from the direction of the puzzle, or the same as the puzzle?”

“It’s always left to right. Help me turn this one.”

Ravi was the one to push the lever. Only because she nearly ran over to it. She could see the chest and gems in the next room. Their sparkle called to her.

What she didn’t see, or smell until they were nearly upon the two, were the skeevers that ran up the crumbling wooden stairs spiraling down in the left-hand section of the room. Massive black rats with mangy fur and frothing mouths. 

Ravi yelped when she spotted the first one. With her hands full of coins, she scrambled back, dropping them in favor of her sword.

Athis was quicker, and he caught it between the ribs as it ran for Ravi. He kicked it away in disgust after killing it, his lip curled.

More scurrying could be heard from the stairway, and Ravi wouldn’t have the elf saving her from another disease-ridden fleabag. She gripped her sword tight and made her approach. 

It was just in time for two more to come bolting up from wherever-in-Oblivion. She slashed at the fastest’s throat, cutting its head clean off, and let the other lunge and bite the end of the bloodied blade. 

She knocked the third dead skeever away and returned to her looting, sparing one glance at Athis. If her long time spent seeing the facial expressions of humans and elves was of any use, Athis looked just the teeniest bit impressed. 

He helped her gather up the little treasure in the room before they went—very carefully—down the dusty stairs. 

“Ah!” Athis shouted as one cracked beneath his foot, making Ravi almost fall down the middle of the spiral out of fright. “Stupid Nords and your stupid wooden stairs..” he grumbled, skipping over that step entirely. She followed his lead. 

The room at the bottom was completely encased in cobweb. 

“Eulgh. Disgusting.” Ravi spat, holding a hand out before her as she walked, taking the lead as Athis struggled with one stuck to his hair. “I hope all of the spiders have died.” 

“Here’s to hoping.” The Mer grumbled as he followed, stopping to look at an old stone table in the center of the room. He pocketed the old vial of poison and the scroll before setting off after Ravi.

As Ravi walked further down the very dark hallway leading to the next room, her hope dwindled. Every sound was an insectoid scurrying. Every web moved with impossible breezes. She shivered. Ravi did not like spiders. 

The ones in the cave leading out of Helgen nearly did her in. She had thought of turning around and facing the dragon instead.

“Is someone coming?” A voice called from further down the corridor and to the left. “Bjorn?” Ravi quickened her pace, and felt Athis do the same behind her. 

To the left was a well-lit, but absolutely horrifying room. Web and corpse-strewn. Web-covered-corpse-strewn. And the entryway was covered in webs so thick, Ravi had to cut them with her sword. 

“No! Not again!” Cried the trapped man. Ravi and Athis burst through into the room in just enough time to see what the poor fool was so terrified of.

Gods, what an enormous spider. Athis had never seen one so big in his life! It was missing a leg, but still heart-stopping in its size.

“Moons...” Ravi breathed beside him as the beast turned from the stuck elf across the room to them. She started shaking with fright beside him. He couldn’t entirely blame her, but there was no time for fear. 

“Get moving!” He gave Ravi a shove to the side as the arachnid hurried on its seven legs, crossing the room in only a few steps. It’s eight eyes were all set on him, and it was no surprise. He was bigger, after all. That gave Ravi the chance to slip around and behind it as Athis evaded its bite. “Ha!” He crowed as it overextended and sent its fangs into the stonework floor. His little victory was cut short as one of its small arms at its head swung out and knocked him down.

Ravi heard the thud and ‘oof’ of her shield-brother, and let that give her the nerve to plunge her blade into the monster’s abdomen. The squish of its insides and the ooze that came from it made her gag, and she was lucky that her grip remained tight on the sword as the spider hissed and whirled on her. All Ravi could think about were its fangs as the force of the turn knocked her on her ass. She scrambled back until she hit a wall. Athis was struggling to his feet, favoring a leg. 

The beastwoman raised her blade straight up to catch the spider’s fangs, watching in hypnotized terror as its deadly stingers wiggled around her sword. She put the heel of her hand up against the blade, feeling the edges of it cut the sides of her palm. She growled with the effort, her tail thrashing madly at her side. Her eyes squeezed shut as the fangs came close enough to disturb the air around her throat. Ko’ravi felt that the next moment would bring those fangs into her throat, and she hoped she would die before she felt the venom.

Then, it was gone. A clicking screech erupted from it, and Ravi watched as Athis was not so lucky as she had been. His sword was ripped from his hands as the spider turned back to face him, buried in the seam between its thorax and abdomen. 

“Ah, shit.” He said plainly, backing away quickly as the raging creature advanced. 

Ravi would not leave him as spider-food. She followed, coming to the spider’s side as it stopped. Athis was backed against a wall. No sword, he put his shield between himself and the deadly fangs. 

What in Oblivion was that s’wit doing? She was crouching next to the spider. It’s legs moving too rapidly and erratically for her to approach its head. As the spider began forcing him to the ground, he saw her plan. 

She sprung up and landed square on the spider’s back, stumbling only a little as it shook. She dropped to her knees and raised her sword above her head with a roar.

For a moment, time seemed to slow. She was little more that a silhouette, save for her gleaming eyes and teeth. Those burning, gleaming eyes. The bloodied sword shining from the magic fires that still burned from the ceiling. 

The sword crunched through the spider’s head. Those beady eyes didn’t seem to change as the beast died. Perhaps spiders didn’t have enough of a soul to have any light in their eyes.

Athis was still stuck under a spider.

“Now get off it.” Athis directed. Ravi was a bit too busy basking in the glory of killing the spider (and recovering from that jump. She was no Suthay; it was quite difficult for her) to think that Athis wouldn’t simply disappear from beneath the spider and reappear beside her.

“Ah. Apologies, rasin-liter.” She grunted as she hopped down from the dead bug. She put her hands beneath the spider’s thorax and helped him push it up and off. 

Athis struggled some as he unstuck his shield from its fangs. He gazed at the two circular holes in it morosely before sighing and pulling his sword from its side. “Let’s help this poor bastard out.” He started walking to the webbed-up Dunmer blocking the way to the next room.

“Please.” The man sounded more impatient than pleading, and Ravi suddenly felt herself wanting to take the spider’s fangs and stick them in him.

Athis bristled similarly, but still raised his sword and cut the probable bandit free. 

“Hah! Now that I am free, I can claim the treasure for myself!” The elf proclaimed, already retreating deeper into the ruin. “You’ll never catch me!” He broke into a run and disappeared down a flight of steps. 

Ravi almost lunged forward and gave chase, but Athis stopped her with an arm.

He gave her a look that told her exactly what he followed it with. “Somethin’ else will get him. Let’s just follow.” He then let Ravi go, and they walked abreast, listening to the footsteps of the bandit.

Sure enough, the footsteps faded into the distance, but were replaced by a shout. The shout was not followed by any other noise.

“Could it be the undead?” Ravi fretted, her hand resting on the pommel of her sword.

“That’s where I’d put my Septims.” At Ravi’s sideways glance, he added, “No, I’m not gambling with you.”

Ravi chuckled at her joke. She caught the crooked smile that graced Athis’ face for a moment before they came to a wide room. A wide room with a very dead Dunmeri bandit in it, surrounded by draugr. He clutched the stolen golden claw in his right hand. 

At the entrance of the pair, every undead Nord turned as if sensing them. Their eyes glowed blue with cold magic, and air rasped in and out of their desiccated lungs. And the smell! Ravi had rarely ever smelled anything so foul.

“I get the left, you the right.” Athis directed, pulling his sword just a breath ahead of Ravi.

The dead were like paper, the two warriors cut through them easily. Ravi’s armor took the brunt of one blow that landed against her side. She saw Athis catch one swing with his shield before tilting it and crushing the draugr’s ribs with the edge of it. Ravi found herself staring a little as she tugged her sword out of a draugr’s chest.

With over ten re-killed bodies on the floor, Ko’ravirha picked her way across them to the bandit. She couldn’t help the grunt of pain as she stooped down to take the claw from the unlucky thief.

“You took a nasty hit there.” Athis commented, the suggestion of rest hidden in there somewhere.

Ravi stood, more fluidly than she had crouched and took a deep breath. She gauged the pain that the action caused her. The tight feeling in her side was only unpleasant. “I believe my bones are all intact, and I am not bleeding. We should get out of here before resting, I think.” 

Her Dunmer companion nodded, taking the lead and pointing out a pressure plate camouflaged against the floor. They both stepped around it.

Draugr after draugr. Room to room. It was almost easy. Ravi was amazed by the area of the crypt that was mostly made up of natural cave. Light came down where the ceiling was split open, and snow laid white against a somewhat narrow natural bridge over a deep gap. A few more draugr, then back into Nord-crafted crypt. 

“We’re almost through.” Athis said it half to himself. The awful, moldy rotten smell was starting to grate on him. They had reached a wide hallway with pictures etched into the stone walls. “Glad you picked up that claw.”

The end of the hallway had a huge door with rings depicting different creatures on them. Ravi turned the claw around in her hands to give it a look. Athis had seen puzzles of this kind before, but thought it more amusing to let Ravi figure it out. 

“Ah!” She finally found the images on the underside of the claw. She looked at them, then at the door, and turned the rings so that the pictures lined up correctly, then pushed the tips of the claw into the narrow holes in the door’s center. Athis took a cautious step back, as well as Ravi, as the door began slowly sliding down into the floor, sending out dust and bits of stonework.

“More caves...” Ravi mused, looking around at the rocky walls and dark soil.

“Look there.” Athis pointed further into the cave. Natural light drifted in from a hole in the ceiling, casting a rounded stone wall into the light. A heavy chest sat near it.

“The gold is not going to collect itself.” Ravi said over her shoulder as she picked up the pace. Athis followed behind, rolling his eyes.

As she drew nearer to the wall, her head started to buzz. Louder and louder, until it made her stop and shake her head in an attempt to clear the sound. It didn’t leave, so she decided to tough it out. The next step made her groan and grit her teeth as the buzz became truly painful.

“You alright?” Athis’ hand was on her shoulder, and Ravi realized she was swaying on her feet. 

She turned her head to where she knew him to be standing, but couldn’t make him out from the rest of the room. All she could really see were his red eyes. Ravi squinted, trying to focus. Nothing.

“You stay here, I’ll—“

“No.” Ravi felt her stomach tighten. Something was odd, and she wasn’t going to stay behind. 

She took another step, didn’t fall, took another. She focused on the wall, and noticed a set of runes carved into it that seemed clear. She stumbled, and the next two steps were faster. Ravi was right in front of the wall, and she braced her hands on it, looking closely at the runes. 

“Moons...” Ravi breathed as she watched them shift. They looked to be three runes, written in some language she had never seen before, but shifted, changed. They were four next, and looked like Tamrielic. With a few final shifts, a real word was formed. “...Force?” 

“What are you on about?” Athis asked beside her. Ravi was touched he had stayed close wile she struggled, despite his obvious annoyance.

“This word... I can read it.” Her eyes and head began to clear. Ravi stood up straight and looked around at the rest of the wall. It was still in that unknown language.

“That makes one of us.” His dismissive tone made Ravi feel better, really. She wasn’t in the mood to contemplate what understanding some ancient, probably dead language as soon as she laid eyes on it meant. Athis walked over to the chest, sparing a glance at the old sarcophagus. “Let’s go before he—“

There was the sound of stone breaking and grating against itself. The sarcophagus slid open and a draugr emerged, thick armor wrapped around its middle, a horned helmet.

Ravi hastily shook the last of the fuzziness from her head and drew her sword. 

Athis was faster, and struck the first blow on the draugr as it was still pulling itself from its box. His sword cut into the dead man’s side and got stuck in his armor.

“Dammit, again?” Athis growled, viciously tugging the sword loose, but not in time to avoid a blow from the draugr. 

Ravi was on it as the hit from the ancient sword landed. The draugr had been aiming for Athis’ throat, but struck his shoulder instead. The old blade simply broke once it had cut into him, leaving part of it stuck in Athis.

“Gods!” Athis shouted as he stumbled back, catching himself with his other arm. The draugr looked at the broken blade before shifting it in his hand. 

Ravi stabbed her own blade through the draugr’s middle. It started and turned its head slowly to look at her. Ravi’s ears flattened as its sword hand came up and readied for a stab of its own. Just before Ravi could react to tug her blade free, the draugr turned its body, pulling the sword from her grasp, and she could only leap back to avoid the jagged weapon. She tried to snake around it to get her sword, but it turned quickly to keep her in front.

They played that game for over a minute until Ko’ravi realized she had been backed against the wall of words. The draugr jumped forward, the blade shooting out for her face. Ravi yelped and moved aside just as the broken sword buried itself into the wall. Ravi gave the monster a hard kick to its stomach, sending it stumbling back several feet, taking its sword with it.

Ravi looked quickly over to where Athis was sitting. He had pulled the sword from his shoulder, bleeding heavily from the wound but still getting shakily to his feet. 

The draugr came in again, and Ravi was not quick enough to evade. Her hands grabbed the undead’s wrist, holding it back. She growled, using all her strength to force him backwards. The dead Nord redoubled its efforts, the broken blade inches from Ravi’s eye. Athis would not be fast enough. Ravi only had one option left.

She summoned flames to her hands, burning the draugr’s wrist. The stench was terrible, but the beast stumbled back, yanking its arm away from her fiery grip. Ravi saw the confusion cross Athis’ face before the smell reached him.

If he was angry about her secret, he didn’t show it as he advanced on the draugr and cut its head off with one sharp swing. 

“Let’s get on with this and get out of here.” He grumbled, flexing his injured shoulder with a grimace. 

Ravi sprung forward and pulled her sword from the draugr’s back before moving to the chest. Athis sheathed his sword and moved to a small, shelved table. He grabbed a soul gem sitting on top of it and a book on one of the shelves before pocketing the gold pieces strewn on top of it. 

Ravi found a nice sword along with a large healing potion and a heavy stone tablet at the bottom. She looked at it in puzzlement for a moment before remembering her talk with Farengar over a week prior.

“Oh. Almost forgot! Seems we will be getting even more gold from this.” Ravi mused as she lifted the heavy stone tablet from its resting place.

“I’m not carrying that.” He picked up his shield, slung it over his back, and took the sword from Ravi. “I think there’s a quicker way out up there.” He pointed up a set of stairs that led to a narrower cavern.

“Yes. I can smell the fresh air.” Ravi agreed. 

They set off up the steps, Athis once again in the lead. He hissed in pain every so often, and Ravi would dart closer in case he collapsed. He sent her a withering look each time. There was a handle set into an iron stand, and Ravi pulled it before Athis could.

“Ugh.” Athis huffed, seeing that the passage narrowed further. He led them to a widening of the passage where the ground sloped sharply down. Light could be seen from further on.

“Wait for a moment.” Ravi rasped before sliding down the slope. The exit was within reach. Instead of leaving, she set her eyes on a chest to her right. Seventy pieces and a small soul gem. After that was when she walked from the cave and looked around the exit. The sky was clear at that point, and the sun was low across the lake. She could see the river to Riverwood. If they left now, they could make it before nightfall. The only issue was that getting down would take a climb, the kind that used more than just legs. She could come down and back up with relative ease, but she wouldn’t ask Athis to try it with his mangled shoulder. Ravi turned and went back into the dark cave, her eyes adjusting rapidly as she entered.

“How steep is it?” Athis already knew it would be a climb down, but he held hope that the Nords that built this crypt would have made the exit a bit forgiving.

“Too steep.” Ravi’s hissing voice replied. She slung her pack off her back to the ground with a thump and sat with another.

Athis sighed before making his way down the incline. He sat down about a foot away from her, reaching his right hand up to gingerly touch the gash in his shoulder. It felt more sore than anything else, and he let his hand drop. 

“You’re a mage.” He remembered watching her burn that draugr minutes ago. He had dismissed it for the time, worrying more about getting out. 

Ravi stiffened beside him, her eyes worried and tail flicking. “..Yes.” She finally replied, caution. A touch of resignation.

“The others don’t think too highly of magic, but I haven’t ever seen them turn down a bit of extra help.” Ravi still looked a bit unsure, clasping her hands together as she stared at a particular rock. “Look, I’m not gonna go telling them, but they wouldn’t throw you out if I did.”

“Thank you, trevan.” She sighed. “If you would like, I could try a healing spell.” She eyed his bloody shoulder. “I am not very good at it, though.”

“Anythin’ is better than this.” He shifted slightly to give her better access as Ravi rose to a crouch and readied the spell.

She was silent as she worked. All of the nerves she had shown earlier seemed to have melted away. Her hands were feather-light on his shoulder, and though the spell made the deep cut itch as it healed slowly, the coolness of her hands felt nice. He would never have told her this.

After roughly a minute of casting, Ko’ravi felt exhausted. Her hands began to tremble, and she sat back, letting them fall to the floor. 

Athis hummed and moved his shoulder the tiniest bit. Ravi made a ‘don’t do that’ type of sound, but there was no bleeding. He stopped anyways, grimacing at the pain it caused. 

Ravi’s stomach rumbled. “You would not have happened to bring any food, would you?”

“No. You’re the one with the pack, anyway.” Athis turned to face Ravi and fell back. If she had been paying any attention, she would have had a view up his leather skirt.

Ravi was not paying attention, her eyes fixed on the small amount of light filtering into the cavern. She leaned back against the wall. Her mind on her empty stomach. She could have gone out and caught something, but she did not want to. Ravi had never been much of a hunter.

“Where did you learn to fight, Ravi?” Athis asked.

Ravi looked at him, then. Well, looked at his knees, mostly. “I started training against my sister in Elsweyr, then picked up the rest as I travelled. I learned a few things from the grand champion.” Ravi didn’t try to keep the pride from her voice with the last bit. 

“Not too different from me, ‘cept that last bit.” Ravi thought she might have heard some envy in there. “You ever jump on things like that before?” 

“I have, but I try not to. Hurts my knees.” Getting that airborne, especially with her heavy armor, was quite the feat. Quite the painful feat. “So, you learned from family as well?”

“Friends, really. Sisters wouldn’t do it, said I was too young for them to beat me up. Learned the rest out of necessity.” Ravi caught the ‘s’ at the end of sisters.

“Sisters? More than one?” A Dunmer couple having just one child was something that often never happens. Three is a big number. More than that was unheard of by Ravi.

“Two. Mehryn and Aranea.” She could hear the fond smile in his voice. “Yours?”

“Her name was Kojada.” Ravi replied quietly.

“I’m sorry.” 

“You have no reason to be. It was long ago.” Ravi replied. It was true. It had been over three decades, and most of her memories were fond and distant. “And your sisters?”

“Aranea actually moved to Elsweyr, working for the Trading Company. Mehryn is still in Morrowind doing gods know what. I got a letter from Aranea just last month.” Athis found himself lost as to why he was telling her all of this information. Information he had not shared with anyone in Skyrim. Maybe it was the pain in his shoulder making his head fuzzy, or the gentleness of her hands... gods, what was he? A noble member of the Companions, or some teenager?

“That’s good.” Ravi hummed. “Do tenurr, trevan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rasin-liter is Shield-brother


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the hall. Not much happens in this one...

Ch6

Ravi woke with an almost violent start, gasping as she dispelled unpleasant dreams.

“You alright?” 

Ko’ravirha’s eyes darted about the room in search of something to set her eyes on, her heart hammering in her chest. “Yes. I am fine.” She hoped she sounded convincing through her panting.

Athis was already standing, stretching his back before crouching back down with Ravi. He didn’t look very convinced, but dropped the look when Ravi met his eyes. He looked to his left and gave his shoulder a little wiggle. “How’s it look?” 

“It could do to be cleaned...” Ravi wrinkled her nose at the crusted blood around the wound. Her sleep left her feeling sore and still tired, but her magicka was replenished. “Let me finish fixing it so we can get something to eat.”

One mostly healed shoulder later, Ravi was tossing her bag down the edge of the relatively low cliff. She began her descent first, finding the best spots to hang and drop from to the next short jutting rock.

Ravi hit the ground and waited for Athis to follow. He seemed to be doing fine until he lost his grip before he was ready and fell flat on his back. Thankfully, it was from the last rock, so he landed in the softer grass and dirt.

“Hehehee.” 

“Shut up.” Not an ounce of humor in his raised voice. Apparently, Athis didn’t care for playful mockery. He got up without another sound and went off toward the lake. 

The Khajiit stared after him a moment, ears canted back in surprise from his outburst. She followed after picking up her overstuffed pack, straining a bit under its weight. 

He was doing his best to wash the blood from himself without getting completely soaked. He wasn’t doing a very good job. Watching him struggle was a bit amusing, especially after he had been so sharp. However, Ravi knew she had a cloth in her pack, so she released it with a thud and checked its outer compartment.

“Here, sabaar.” She held out the rag on his left side, and he took it with a mumbled ‘thanks’. She watched him work, and briefly thought about how hot his skin felt when she healed him. The first time she had come into contact with a Dunmer, Ravi thought that perhaps the Mer had a fever, but she later learned it was simply a trait of theirs. Their body temperatures were higher, on average, than the other races of Tamriel, a match for the fiery mountain on the island of Vvardenfell.

After the last of the dried blood was gone, and he had rinsed the rag to wipe his face, Athis’ mood seemed to have cooled quite a bit. 

“Let me have the stone.” And Ravi was more than happy to heft the carved tablet out of her pack and pass it to him like a baton made of pain. “Where’s this thing going to, anyway?” He gritted.

“Whiterun.”

They made a pit stop in Riverwood. Dropped the claw off at the trader before getting back on the road, exchanging Ravi’s pack for the tablet.

“How about we only give them a fifth of the gold we got. It wouldn’t be a total lie that way.” Athis offered.

“Didn’t think it mattered much to you if we lied.” Ravi smiled cheekily. Athis fought down the annoyance he felt. Unnecessary.

“The more we give, the more respect we’re likely to get.” He replied simply.

The pair were silent for the remainder of the trek. That was mostly due to the fact that carrying their haul was taking most of their breath from them.

“Tonsh aliija.” Ravi puffed once the gates were in sight. The tablet had circled back to her for the second time, and her muscles were screaming for rest. It would just be up... the stairs to Dragonsreach. 

Ravi dropped her pack outside the entrance to Warmaiden’s and waited for Athis to sell off the weapons they had collected. He came out with a new shield.

“Here’s your half.” He tossed her a bag of gold, not breaking his stride as he walked past her and picked up her pack. Ravi hummed and trotted after him after giving a little jostle of the bag.

After delivering the tablet, the Warriors were in desperate need of... a lot of things. A bath, for one. Ravi was starting to give herself a headache. 

Ravi thought she saw a sign outside the Bannered Mare for baths. She would have to have one after reporting back with Athis.

“Ah, they’re back!” It was around noon, and Torvar had yet to go out for his nightly drinking. He was talking with Njada, leaning against the edge of the dining table. “Told’ya they weren’t dead.” He nudged the stormy woman with his elbow. 

“Yeah, whatever.” She snapped back, turning briskly and exiting to the training yard. 

Torvar grinned at the two of them. “Hey, Athis. And uhhh... I might’ve been drunker than I thought.” Torvar’s eyes widened in confusion, looking away and down in an attempt to remember his introduction to Ravi. 

Athis tolled his eyes, and helped out his friend before Ravi could open her mouth. “It’s Ko’ravirha.”

“Ravi! I remember now.” His grin returned, and Athis caught Ravi’s whiskers twitch in his periphery. 

The Khajiit took a step forward into the mead hall, looking around for a member of the circle, pack in hand. Athis spotted Vilkas coming up the stairs and tapped Ravi, who was looking away. 

“Vilkas, we have returned.” Ravi called to the Nord.

The barest hint of a smile crossed the man’s face for a second, “What have you brought back for us?” 

Athis watched Ravi retrieve the gold she had stored in the outer pocket of her pack and hold it out to Vilkas, meeting him halfway to the stairs. The other, and bigger, part of their haul was packed tightly in another pocket so as not to make a sound.

“More than I expected from bandits.” Vilkas mused curiously, suspiciously, eyeing Ravi.

“That’s cause we did more than kill those bandits. That old crypt was full of draugr and spiders. And treasure.” Athis defended his shield-sister. He felt maybe a bit more upset than he should have at the slight accusation.

“Treasure-hunting? In a tomb, no less? Great work, you two.” Vilkas congratulated, slapping Ravi on the shoulder. “Now you both get some rest, it’s back to training tomorrow.” He brushed past Ravi to the other end of the room. 

Ravi turned her head to look at Athis; gratitude in her blue feline eyes.

“Don’t thank me.” He said flatly.

In the whelps’ room, Ravi passed Athis’ half of their spoils back to him after sitting heavily on her bed. He didn’t even try to be sneaky as he pulled his bed away from the wall, wiggled a stone out of place, and stuffed half gold into the unknowably vast space behind it. After he had put the stone and bed back, Athis sat on the center of the bed and looked sideways at Ravi with narrowed eyes.

Ravi drew a cross over her mouth, pulling her legs up onto her bed. She pulled her own gold out of her pack, but Ravi had no way of hiding her own gold. Her whiskers drooped in a frown.

“You’ll find somewhere, or you’ll spend it all tomorrow.” The Elf shrugged.

“I think I will spend some of it now. I need a bath.” Ravi twisted up her face at the thought of all the grime in her fur. Athis laid back on his bed, looking up at the ceiling.

“I’ll just,” he paused for a yawn, “have a nap before.”

“A tempting thought.” Ravi sighed before getting up from her bed.

The bathhouse was underneath the Bannered Mare. The room was kept hot, and the water hotter. Ravi was surprised at how low the cost was.

After drying off most of the water, Ravi returned to Jorrvaskr and to her room. She still had a few hours until dinner.

Ko’ravi found Athis still asleep in his bed, an arm thrown over his face, silent. Ravi made like him and passed out on her own bed. Hopefully, something would wake them before they missed food.

“Wake up, unless you wanna miss dinner!”

An all too loud voice woke up Athis, and his immediate reaction was to pull his arm tighter across his face and growl. He heard Ravi groan.

“Come on, don’t be like that. I know you’re hungry.” Ria pushed, her voice was closer.

Athis and Ravi both groaned that time, and he turned on his side to face the wall.

At length, when Ria did not retreat, Athis turned his neck and looked at the Imperial. She was smiling. His anger evaporated. That girl was cuter than one of those puppies from Skyrim’s hounds. He sighed and sat up, the movement punctuated by a rumbling in his stomach. Ravi was doing the same, and she giggled.

Athis realized he had left his boots on. Disappointed in himself, he trudged out of the room behind Ria and Ravi.

Ravi was almost completely certain she had never eaten so fast in her life. She didn’t even speak, and neither did Athis. They both got the occasional glance, but it was all surprise, maybe a bit of wonder.

They were both finished before anyone else, and finally had the energy for something resembling a conversation.

“Torvar says you cleared out a whole crypt!” Ria’s excitement made Ravi huff out a little laugh.

“Unlikely.” Njada’s remark made Ravi shoot an unnoticed glare her way, but Athis seemed more riled by it.

“What’s that s’posed to mean?” Athis glared at the woman across Torvar’s empty seat. The man had eaten earlier and left for the Bannered Mare, where he could get as much mead as he had gold.

“There’s easier ways to get that much gold, and the two of you would need one.” The Nord grumbled into her drink.

Ravi blinked a few times, clearing all that senche-shit from her ears, before responding to Ria. She ignored the forming conflict between her Dunmer friend and Njada. “We did. Fought a spider that couldn’t fit through the doors here, too.”

“Wow...” Ria was starry-eyed with wonder.

She talked with Ria for a few minutes more about the crypt, Athis joining after he tired himself out arguing with Njada. Or maybe the Nord grew bored and left. Ravi was not paying much attention.

“Ravi, I hope this doesn’t offend you, but you talk different from the other Khajiit I’ve met.” The Imperial looked like she regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

Ravi twitched her whiskers slightly, “There is no offense. It was something my father taught me. He was raised by humans in Cyrodiil. He believed humans and Elves would be more trusting if I were to speak like them.” She watched the Ria’s face light up with admiration. Athis was looking, too. 

“That was real clever.” She commended. “And you know Khajiiti, too?”

“I learned Ta’agra alongside Tamrielic.” 

“Yeah, she’s been calling me names in it since we left.” Athis rumbled in halfhearted annoyance. He tried to hide the sideways smirk.

Ria laughed brightly in the emptying room. “I’d love to learn a few of those names. It’s late, though.”

“Yes, I think I’ll head down with you.” Ravi stood from her seat.

“Still need that bath.” Athis sounded more tired than before he fell asleep.

Ravi and Ria were quiet as they came down the stairs and slipped into their room. It was almost pitch black inside, and Njada was asleep on her bed. Torvar was half-in his own, snoring loudly. Ravi slid between the furs of her bed and closed her eyes.

She awoke to quiet footsteps. Not quiet enough. 

“Sorry.” Athis whispered, his red eyes glowing as they caught sight of her reflective ones. 

Ravi grunted near-silently and closed her eyes once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tonsh aliija - Thank (the) gods


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next mission begins. Torvar is here this time. So Much Ta’agra in this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because there is so much of it, much of the Ta’agra will be translated in text. However, in the Athis section, I kept it how he would be hearing and understanding it, so the translations of those will be at the bottom.

MCh7  
The next weeks, Ravi trained up. She found Torvar to be good practice for opponents with heavy weapons when the Nord was sober enough to swing with any accuracy. Ria’s style was similar to her own with a short blade, but Ravi tried not to distract the girl too much from learning larger weapons with Vilkas. The Khajiit usually gave Njada a wide berth, but the pair of them got into an argument (though it slipped Ravi’s mind exactly what it was about... Elsweyr’s use of Moon Sugar?) and sparred over it once.

Ravi hadn’t realized how long that fight had gone on until they were both panting, settling on a stalemate. Nearly the whole company was watching them. As Ravi glanced around, she caught Athis’ eyes. Something like respect flashed through them. 

She and Athis practiced together nearly every day for the month or so they spent waiting for their next assignment. Their count was a near tie with Athis coming out in the lead. Something he held over her head until their next match. 

It was in the early hours of the morning when Farkas approached Ravi. The Nord had become friendly to her in the last week, but he had been looking at her strangely. Not with malice or disgust, but something different from friendly. Those looks had started just after her big fight with Njada. Ravi was only just waking up, and Athis was still putting his armor on.

“Got a job for you, new blood.” Gruff as ever, but Ravi knew it was just the way he spoke. “Missing people outside Riften, found pieces of them outside a cave. Probably bears.” 

The big Nord hesitated for a second, like he would say something else. Ravi waited, looking up at him from her seat on her bed.

“If you—“

“Good, I could use something to do.” Athis cut off Farkas without thinking. Well, that wasn’t completely true, Athis was thinking about how much he didn’t want Farkas to finish that sentence. The human was innocent enough, and Ravi could take care of herself, but something about her coming to like someone other than him irked Athis.

“Sounds fun, trevan.” Ravi leaned around Farkas and smiled at the elf. “What was it you were about to say, shield-brother?” She wondered why Athis had cut him off, exactly.

“Oh, uh.” The Nord began to stumble over his words, taking a step back and to the side. “Well, the two of you will probably need a heavy-hitter. Maybe you should bring Torvar.” Ah, perhaps Athis hadn’t wanted Torvar along. The young human could be a handful.

On cue, the blonde-haired Nord snored with incredible volume. Athis scowled and looked to his right where their friend’s bed was.

“It would be safest.” Ravi agreed. She looked to Athis, and he nodded, a bit reluctantly.

“You ready to get going?” Athis asked Ravi once she met him and Torvar at the hall’s front door.

Ravi hummed an affirmative, adjusting the bag slung over her shoulder and following the two out. 

Almost instantly, before they had even reached Warmaiden’s, Torvar reached for the corked flask on his hip. Ravi watched with amusement as Athis glanced over, did a double take, and grit his teeth.

“Really, boy? It’s not even noon.” He growled, snatching the flask. 

“Hey!” Torvar cried indignantly. Ravi got a whiff of whatever it was as the container exchanged hands. She recoiled at the powerful stench of alcohol.

“Azurah! What is in that?” Ravi put a hand over her tormented nose, and Athis looked back at her a moment. 

He took a careful sniff. “I can’t figure it out myself.” He held out his hand to Torvar, expecting the cork. The Nord only glared ahead and crossed his big arms. In response, Athis halted altogether. They were only a few feet from the gate, and two guards were watching them with interest. Athis held the flask out to his side and began tilting it.

“Okay! Okay!” Torvar rushed, hastily holding the cork out to Athis.

“Good. You can have it when we reach Riften.”

Torvar sighed and a few guards chuckled along with Ravi as the trio pushed through the gates. They made their way in silence (a sullen one, for Torvar) until they reached the edge of the outer walls.

Just his luck. The caravan was there.

“Oh! The caravan is here!” Ravi bubbled, bouncing on her feet before running forward a short distance. She ground to a halt quickly, though, and turned back to Athis and Torvar. Her eyes were pleading. 

Athis, despite his annoyed sigh, understood her excitement. If the only time he was able to see any of his own kinsmen was once every several weeks, and even then there was no guarantee, he would be desperate to do so. “Go on, just don’t take too long.” He shifted his weight and crossed his arms to wait.

“Thank you, Athis.” Ravi tried to keep her enthusiasm hidden and trotted the rest of the way to the tents. 

“Yosan, roliter.” Atahbah greeted Ravi from her seat by the fire, twitching her ears amiably.

“Dras’kay, rik vara satila?” Hello, how are things? Ravi stopped to ask.

“Shesko, ahziss kimer vaba wo ahzirr.” Good, my cousin is with us. The woman spoke louder and motioned for someone in a tent she was facing to come into the light.

Ravi’s heart thudded to a stop when the little Suthay-raht crawled out of the tent.

“Dras’kay, bishu fa.” Hello, little one. Ravi nearly cooed the words, greeting to the tiny boy. He couldn’t have been more than seven years old. “Kaaka vaba jer hasaa?” What is your name?

“Mrazto.” Squeaked the little cub.

“Ahziss va Ko’ravirha.” 

Ravi heard a delighted gasp far behind her and turned to see Torvar staring, open-mouthed at the child. A glance at Athis revealed him to be almost as enthralled with the little thing. Ravi turned back to the boy and saw his tail fluffed up in fright.

Ravi turned a politely-questioning gaze on his older cousin as the woman tucked him against her side.

“Jan deje kor vaga vabaali rhogur.” He only knows others to be cruel. And she clearly meant other races. 

Ravi canted her ears back in sorrow. That anyone had harmed that child’s mind was unthinkable. And Ravi felt poorly for bringing her friends close enough to frighten the young one. 

“Bo etofa vaba deje fa draqo dalaali.” But there is only one way to learn. The woman looked down conspicuously at the boy who cowered further at the suggestion.

Ravi crouched down to the woman’s side, held a palm out behind her briefly to keep her partners away. “Mrazto, dat vaba ahziss zrishna var darali naraja dorr do iss. Ahziss travana-“ Mrazto, it is my job to kill beasts for good people. My friends- Ravi turned back to Torvar and Athis, smiling, “-vara tataami. Ko jer yato jaadi?” -Are like me. Will you meet them?

The little boy hesitated for a moment before nodding the slightest bit.

Ravi turned once again to her friends and excitedly waved them over. They tactfully left their weapons on the ground before approaching. Torvar came up to Ravi’s right and crouched beside her, his blue eyes sparkling in awe at the little child. Athis stood further back, on her left. But Ravi didn’t miss how his eyes were widened just as much as Torvar’s. 

“Hi, I’m Torvar.” The big Nord said softly.

“Jan hasaa vaba Torvar.” Ravi translated to the little boy. 

The Suthay-raht turned his green gaze on the Nord, the fear slowly melting away. “Kaaka darr di shabozay vara jer?” What type of hairless is he?

Ravi snickered a bit at the boy’s choice of words, and cleared up her friend’s confusion. “He wants to know what kind of human you are.” At least it was mostly true. 

“Jan vaba Tasmiit.” Ravi knew how difficult telling the humans apart could be in the beginning.

“An... jaji fa vaba mer.” The boy said with some hesitation, looking up at Athis.

“Jat,” Ravi congratulated and the boy smiled, “Athis vaba Mormer.”

“Dras’kay, Torvar an Athis,” the names sounded strange from the Khajiit, the ‘or’ sound was too drawn out and Athis’ ‘a’ was an ‘ah’. It apparently only made the boy more adorable to Torvar as he squealed quietly. “Ahziss va Mrazto.”

Ravi turned to Athis that time, and she can tell he is trying to stifle a smile, “He says ‘hello, I am Mrazto.”

Atahbah was remaining silent, smiling proudly at her young cousin.

“It’s good to meet you, Mrazto.” Athis was obviously trying to make his voice softer, friendlier than it often sounded. Ravi knew the child’s reaction before she turned back. She saw it on her friend’s face.

The boy had gone wide-eyed with fright again. “Jan ros vaba qoji.” His voice is scary. The cub’s voice wavered as he spoke.

“Sajoh vaba qojithka, jan pur dat vaba do yatoali jer.” Don’t be scared, he says it is good to meet you. Ravi calmed the boy, “Athis vabaoh qoji.” Athis isn’t scary. Ravi’s tail swished out behind her aimlessly, settling somewhere to her left. The fear slowly evaporated once more.

“Vaba jan jer aritrevan?” Is he your boyfriend? The boy asked curiously, mischievously. That made his cousin stiffen and fix him with a look that made him withdraw from her with a nervous laugh.

Ravi barked out a surprised laugh of her own, “Kador ko jer krozij jaji?” Why would you think that? She grinned with an open mouth.

“Jer zeva.” The boy pointed to where Ravi’s tail had come to rest. 

Ko’ravirha was mortified. Her tail was wrapped around one of Athis’s ankles. She made the split-second decision to keep it there before turning back to the boy, masking her embarrassment. 

“Kaaka ike jan vaba?” Ravi answered the boy’s question with one of her own. Athis couldn’t help feeling a bit left out, but he was fine knowing that the boy was no longer petrified of him.

Whatever Ravi said to the boy made the Khajiit woman stare at her incredulously, “Zavi jer dejoh vaba thzi.” Her voice was low. 

The boy giggled, “Vaba jan, vaba jan?” 

Ravi leaned forward and put a hand against her mouth conspiratorially before speaking. “Jan vabaoh, bo kiva fa pal...” she cut her eyes to Athis, and he frowned in confusion.

That made the boy giggle again, and Athis couldn’t help half-smile that he cracked. 

He was almost disappointed when Ravi sighed and stood, bringing Torvar with her. “Ahzirr vara heko luk sabi. Gadana, Mrazto.”

“Gadana, Ko’ravirha. Gadana, Torvar. Gadana, Athis.” The boy chirped.

“Gadana, Mrazto.” Torvar didn’t mess up the goodbye too badly, and the boy grinned.

“Gadana, Mrazto.” Athis tried a different inflection to his voice, and it seemed to work. 

Ravi turned and led them out of the camp with a small goodbye to the woman who was still looking at her in an odd way.

Torvar managed to contain his curiosity until they had reached the bridge at the intersection of the road to Riverwood.

“What’d’ya say to the kid to make him laugh so much, Ravi?” 

Ravi, who had taken the lead, chanced a glance back to the men behind her. Athis seemed disinterested, looking out to the distant mountains at their left. “I think it is more amusing if I don’t tell you, trevan.”

“And what’s that word mean? You called Athis that, too. It an insult?”

“No,” Ravi laughed, “but fusozay is.”

There was an intake of breath behind her, Athis that time. “That’s what the kid called you!” There was a delighted caw of laughter in the middle of it. “What does it mean?” 

“That one means ‘hairless’. But Mrazto only used it because we have no word for human other than the Tamrielic word, so do not feel too terrible, Torvar.” Ravi consoled. Athis chuckled.

“Hmph.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaaka ike jan vaba?- what if he is?  
> Zavi jer dejoh vaba thzi - surely you can’t be true (serious)  
> Jan vabaoh, bo kiva fa pal... He is not, but maybe one day...  
> Ahzirr vara heko luk sabi - we are running late already


End file.
